FIPSE LSDL Modules

 

PLE 5a: Module 1

PLE 5a: Engaging action (direct advocacy)

Purpose

Direct advocacy takes many forms and requires attention to strategy and process in order to be effective. This PLE reviews the forms of direct advocacy and enables participants to learn how to develop a plan for engaging in direct advocacy.

  • To be able to select among different forms of direct advocacy to effective address an issue or problem
  • To be able to develop an executable plan for engaging in direct advocacy

Essential question

What elements are essential in engaging in direct advocacy on behalf of children and families?

About the PLE

This PLE is designed to enable participants to learn how to advocate effectively on behalf of children, families, schools and communities—particularly those of historically marginalized groups—including the forms and strategies of direct advocacy.

This PLE will take approximately three hours to complete.

Learning environment

This PLE is designed to be completed in a large classroom or other large setting, where there are Smart boards or newsprint available for small groups to work. The room should also be flexible enough to allow participants to post their political group maps and enable a gallery walk among all participants.

Pre-session work

This PLE builds on PLEs 2, 2a and 3, in which each participant identifies an issue, analyzes the core policy mechanisms and decision making systems, and the nature of different interest groups. It also makes use of the persuasive argument drafted in PLE 4.

Participants should do the PLE readings listed below and have reviewed a variety of direct advocacy mechanisms in order to be familiar with them.

Activities

This PLE consists of three parts—exploring the means of direct advocacy and prior experience; analyzing forms of advocacy used by school leaders and program directors, and developing a plan for direct advocacy around an issue or policy.

    1.  Explore means of advocating on behalf of children and schools.
      1.  In what forms of advocacy have they engaged in the past?
      2.  In what forms of advocacy have they observed school leaders/program directors engage in the past?
      3.  What has been successful? What has not been successful?
      1. What forms of advocacy are evident?
      2. How are these forms influential?
      3. What needs to be done to make them influential?

Instructors are to begin with a general discussion among the participants of means of advocating on behalf of children and schools:

Next, participants are asked to work in small groups to review and discuss the summary means of advocacy from the needs assessment (see handout), and answer the following questions:

    1. Review video clip examples of advocacy
      1. What forms of advocacy are evident?
      2. What made these forms of advocacy effect?
      3. How are these forms influential?
      4. What needs to be done to make them influential?

Next, the instructor shows the following video clips and asks the participants to jot down answers to the following questions. Following the viewing, the instructor then invites them to discuss these questions in small or large groups:

Video clips

    1. Develop an advocacy plan for an issue or topic
      1. prepare for a board, community or school presentation
      2. organize a letter writing campaign
      3. writing and distributing a blog
      4. organizing through a form of social networking (such as Facebook)
      5. prepare for a legislative day
      6. create a media campaign
      7. work with parents/families/community members to lobby locally
      • Type of talking points and handouts
      • Roles and responsibilities
      • People to involve
      • Use of symbols
      • Resource needs
      • Steps to launch the advocacy strategy

Based on the first two activities and their selected issue or problem (including their already prepared persuasive argument and understanding of policy making processes), the instructor invites the participants to identify the means of advocacy they would choose for their problem or issue. The instructor will ask participants to select one of the following forms of advocacy (or invite them to suggest an alternative):

Next, working in small groups, each participant is to develop a series of short-term awareness and long term strategy outcomes for their advocacy plan. By soliciting input from others in their small groups, participants will refine their plans for what he/she will need to do, including:

Assignment

Each participant is to prepare a 2-3 page advocacy plan, based on the strategies and points generated in the class activities, as applied to their problem or issue.

Field work extension

As a field work extension, and with permission and support from his/her internship supervisor, each participant could solicit feedback from his/her internship supervisor on the advocacy plan and launch it. Through reflection, participants could document their feedback and launching experiences.

Assessment

The instructor can use the following rubric to evaluate each participant’s plan.

Assignment

As an assignment, participants are to draft a 3-5 page paper choosing one essential element as a focus, and develop a POME-based action plan. They are to draw on the required readings, and identify next steps for review and implementation. It might be helpful to include charts, graphs and visual as necessary.

Extension activities (2 hours)

In a follow up session, participants can share their draft plans with each other and solicit feedback from their small work groups and the group as a whole.

Field work applications

As a field work extension, each participant could solicit feedback from his/her internship supervisor on the action plan and take steps to launch it. Through reflection, participants could document their feedback and launching experiences.

Assessment rubric

The instructor can use the rubric below to evaluate the participants’ plan.

 

Elements

Beginning

Developing

Achieving

Exceeding

Goals are clearly described

 

 

 

 

Completeness Actionable

 

 

 

 

Relevant to the issue or strategy

 

 

 

 

Can be implemented

 

 

 

 

Reflects course readings and class discussions

 

 

 

 

Required reading

“Advocacy Guide” found at:
http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/advocacyguide_2009_web.pdf

 

Recommended readings

American Public Health Association (ND). APHA Media Advocacy Manual. Washington, DC: author.

http://www.apha.org/NR/rdonlyres/A5A9C4ED-1C0C-4D0C-A56C-C33DEC7F5A49/0/Media_Advocacy_Manual.pdf